Back issues

Last summer, when we were downstate, in a city with numerous comic shops, I bought some Green Lantern back issues.

Now, this was the first time I had done so since rejoining the world of comic fandom in the early 00's.

And it wasn't my first choice of format--I had first checked to see whether the issues I wanted were available in trade form, and they were not. In fact, if the full run of Kyle's GL issues had been collected in trades, the way so many books seem to be these days, I'd have them all. They aren't, so I don't.

But I kind of miss the old days. I remember being a teenager in the 70s, and ordering however many back issues of Avengers or Legion of Superheroes I figured I could afford at the time.

How did I get them?

Well, first I went through one of my comics, which in those days didn't have the pricey full-page ads they do now--most of their ad pages consisted of a large number of smaller ads, and that's where you could find the shops that dealt in back issues. I sent letters to several of these asking for a catalog, and after looking over them all I decided to go with a fellow called R. Crestohl, who hailed from Canada IIRC. And he became my source for the next several years. On the whole I ordered less expensive books--usually good or very fine copies, because I just wanted to read them--although one year I got a copy of Avengers 4 for my birthday. (I think it was $20.00.) Then came the real waiting. When the comics arrived I'd read them, in order, cover to cover including the letters pages. Total awesomeness.

And while I love my comics now, and love the immediacy of the internet, there's really nothing like that anymore. I'm sure a lot of that has to do with just being older--I'm just not capable of having that much fun anymore. :)